LIMA ORPHANAGE PROJECT
updated 30th May 2004
My project is based at the Puericultorio Perez Aranibar in a district near the centre of Lima. It is a well-known institution in the city, founded in 1930 and funded through donations from local business and others in the community.
There are 600 kids in the orphanage - from the tiniest babies to seventeen-year-olds. Many have been victims of forced labour and exploitation, often in rural areas, and have come to the big city to escape. I'll be working, along with my fellow i-to-i volunteers, with children aged anywhere between 2 and 14, assisting with the teaching of English, computer skills, music and sport (not fancying my footballing chances against South Americans!), as well as helping out with general duties within the institution - like serving lunch. The children also have vegetable patches, so I'll be demonstrating my Alan Titchmarsh credentials ...
It seems that this place gives the children a chance to get an education, in a safe and happy environment. Learning subjects such as English and I.T. vastly improve a child's earning potential and therefore their prospects in life in Peru. Breaking a vicious circle of poverty and exploitation is what projects like this exist for, giving the children the start in life that every child deserves.
I have undergone an on-line training programme through i-to-i (part of the placement costs go towards providing this) to prepare myself for teaching English as a foreign language for the first time. The same can't be said for horticulture - I'll resist the urge to suggest they put down decking and a water feature.
© Ben James 2004